Say Something
by DecemberWildfire
Summary: Venus and Kunzite meet at one of Queen Serenity's parties during the Silver Millenium. Kunzite goes missing that night, and Venus wonders what happened to him. Will he return to her in time before Beryl steals his loyalty away?
1. The Day You Went Away

"Sorry I'm late, Your Highness."

"Nonsense, you're right on time."

"But… it's noon? You told me the meeting was at 11:30."

"That's because we all know you're always late," Mars blurted out from the other side of the room. "Wouldn't want you to miss anything, Venus."

"Betrayed, lied to and humiliated!" Venus joked.

"Have a seat, Venus," Queen Serenity softly spoke. "I have called you all here today regarding our ball this weekend. As you well know, throughout history, communication between people of the moon and earth has been forbidden. We have kept our kingdoms separate."

" _But…_ " Princess Serenity interrupted.

"But," the queen continued, "after so many times of our princess sneaking away to go visit Prince Endymion on earth, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I went to visit the young prince myself, taking Jupiter with me. Both of us can honestly attest that he is a good, honest, trustworthy man, as are his four generals. My daughter's happiness is very important to me. Therefore, I have decided to invite them all to the ball."

"What?!" Mars yelled. "How can you trust them after just one meeting? After all this time, you're just now going to invite them into our kingdom?"

"Mars, I have kept this kingdom intact for all of history, longer than you have been alive. I believe I know what I'm doing. Do you not trust me?"

"Yeah, I suppose you're right," she sighed. "Still seems strange to change traditions so quickly."

"I think it sounds like a great idea," Venus teased. "I mean, who knows, maybe you'll finally find a man. Endymion's generals are all single, right?"

"Shut up," she rolled her eyes.

"Anyways," the queen interrupted. "I just want all of you to observe them and determine for yourselves how trustworthy these men seem to you. I do want this kingdom to remain a democracy, after all."

"Will do, Your Highness," they all stood and bowed.

"You're all going to love them," Princess Serenity gloated. "I can't wait!"

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"Hey Jupiter, mind if I come in?"

"Sure. What's up, Venus?"

She slowly entered the room. "I was just wondering… well, you were there with the queen when she met Endymion and his generals, right? Well… what were they like?"

"I thought they were all pretty solid guys. I approved. Why do you ask?"

"I just… want to know that they're trustworthy, I guess."

" _And?_ " she smirked.

"And? Well, I guess the thing is… ugh. There's no way I'm getting out of this, is there? You know that I've been alone for a long time. It can get really lonely around here. So…"

"So, you're wondering if you'll meet a nice young general at the ball who will dance the night away with you?" she teased.

"Well when you put it that way it sounds pathetic, but yes."

Jupiter gave a friendly laugh and hugged her friend. "Don't worry about it. They're all good people. Just let the chips fall where they may." She backed up and looked her seriously in the eyes. "I know you thought that soldier from Venus was the love of your life. And then he hurt you, in all kinds of ways. I know it still hurts you. But you don't have to have so many trust issues with men. Not all of them are like that."

Venus let out a sigh. "I know, and I'm fine, really. That was so long ago. I guess I'm just concerned because these people are from earth, and well, you know."

"Once you find a good, godly man, you'll see what I mean."

"If I ever _do_ meet someone like that."

"Can I tell you something?" Jupiter began to blush. "I'm kind of interested in one of the generals myself."

"Wait, WHAT?!"

"Yeah, he was doing some training before the prince called him over to meet us, and I offered to be his sparring partner for a while, and I don't know, he's just… intriguing."

"Oh my gosh, I can't wait to meet these guys…"

"Come on," Jupiter laughed and placed a hand on Venus' shoulder. "I'll help you find something to wear for the ball."

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"Knock knock. Kunzite? You busy?" Nephrite stepped into the room.

"Not really. Do you need something?"

Nephrite gave a puzzled look. "Have you just been sitting in here reading all day? You realize the queen's ball is tonight, right?"

"Yes, and?"

"Well, aren't you, uh, anxious to go?"

"Not so much. To be honest, I'm only going because it's the prince's orders. It's not exactly my forte."

"But think about all the women who will be there. The PRINCESSES."

Kunzite put the book down and stood up. "Nephrite, what is this about? Why are you so anxious about this ball? You see plenty of women here in this palace on a regular basis."

"Okay, you remember Princess Jupiter? The one who came here with Queen Serenity?"

"Indeed I do."

"She has my heart, man. We sparred for _hours_ that day. She's really something else. Definitely the coolest girl I've ever met. I want to impress her at the ball, without coming off as conceited. Any ideas?"

"Well, perhaps you could get someone else to give you a positive build up. Maybe the pr-"

Before he could finish, Nephrite excitedly gripped Kunzite's arm tightly. "THAT'S IT! Kunzite, you could talk to her! You could be my right hand man!"

"I'm going to need my right hand back to do that."

"So you'll do it?"

"Release me and I'll do whatever you ask," Kunzite said, annoyed.

"Great. You're a true brother, man. I'll see you there."

"Yeah, we'll see," Kunzite muttered under his breath.

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"Welcome, Prince Endymion, Nephrite, Zoisite, Jadeite, Kunzite! We are honored to have you all here tonight," Queen Serenity warmly greeted as she led the five men into the palace.

"It is an honor to be here, good Queen," Endymion said, bowing respectfully.

"Please, come this way and join the guests in the ballroom. You will be seated in the guest's place of honor beside me at the dinner table."

They went into the ballroom where the dancing was taking place. Princess Serenity excitedly ran up and glomped her prince, not caring about acting dignified in that moment. After she led him to the dance floor, Nephrite caught sight of Jupiter sitting at the table talking with someone.

"Hey, Kunzite," he whispered while rapidly turning around. "There she is, over at the table. You know what to do, right?"

"Yeah, sure," he rolled his eyes and gave a faint smile. He made his way over to the table and respectfully bowed before the two women.

"Good evening, Jupiter. It is good to see you again."

"Good to see you, Kunzite. This is my fellow guardian, Princess Mercury."

"It is good to make your acquaintance," he bowed again.

"Nice to meet you, sir," she shyly replied.

"Miss Jupiter, if you don't mind, may I have a word with you for a moment?"

"Uh, yeah, sure. Be right back, Mercury," she said as they stepped aside.

"So, here's the deal," Kunzite began. "Nephrite over there, he likes you. He wanted me to give you a build-up, but frankly I don't think that's necessary. If you have any interest, go and talk to him. And if he asks, I did in fact give him a wonderful build up."

"He likes me…?" she blushed again, and turned to him and laughed kindly. "Okay, I will. Thanks, Kunzite."

"Not a problem."

After she walked away, Kunzite turned around and his eyes fell upon a woman entering the room from a hallway. She was dressed in a gorgeous orange gown, had sparkling golden hair tied into a red ribbon, and had eyes as blue as the earth. She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. He was paralyzed.

Queen Serenity announced that it was time for the meal to be served, so the guests took their seats at the very long table. The gorgeous blonde girl was seated directly across from Kunzite.

She finally locked eyes with him. Something about his serious, yet loving gaze captivated her.

"You are one of Endymion's generals?" she suddenly composed herself.

"Yes. My name is Kunzite. I am Endymion's head general."

"I'm Venus, Princess Serenity's head guardian."

"Serenity certainly elected a beautiful woman as her lead protector." He gave a smile as he took a drink of wine.

"Well, aren't you sweet, General," she teased. "So, what do you do?"

"I am responsible for ensuring the prince's safety at all times. I train the other generals and our troops in case we ever need to defend ourselves in battle."

"That's exactly my role here in the moon kingdom. Although, sometimes I think that Mars should be the one training our troops. She's definitely got the bossy personality for that."

"She does seem like an interesting character."

"What do you like to do when you're not busy training?"

"I spend much of my leisure time in our palace's library. I have found favor with John Eldredge's work. I also really enjoy watching the night sky from the top of the palace."

"John Eldredge is my favorite author! His wife is really talented too. _Captivating_ really changed my life. And gazing at the stars is my absolute favorite thing to do…"

"I must say, you have good taste, Miss Venus," he grinned and gave her a wink.

Her heart was pounding so fast she could hardly sit still. They talked for ages about their lives and John Eldredge's writings.

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Those two finished their meal early, so Venus decided to give him a small tour of the palace. She led him into the art gallery, and he stopped in front of one of the paintings.

"Oh, you like Cline's work?" she asked.

"I met him once. I was very ill at the time; hadn't felt well in over three months. On some days I was unable to eat or even get out of bed, and after so long I thought I was going to die. One day, when I was feeling well enough to roam the palace, I ran into Cline as he was meeting with Prince Endymion. We were having this exact painting put up. He saw that I was ill and came over to pray for me. He told me the story of Job, and encouraged me to take heart in the hope that, like him, life can become better than before after tribulation."

"That's incredible," Venus said, gently placing her hand on his shoulder. "Job's story is so powerful. It's often easier to be thankful for our lives when we think about situations like his. I'm glad he was able to encourage you like that."

"He was one of the greatest men I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Every time I would look at this painting, seeing how the waves crash down with such force, I would remind myself that storms always pass."

"Sometimes we have to go through hell to realize how temporary and fragile this life is, and how much we need God."

Kunzite smiled at her. "You really are something, Venus. Much more than just a pretty face. You have insight on life. Don't ever take that gift for granted."

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While walking down one of the large hallways, a thought dawned on her.

"How would you like to go up to the roof and stargaze? I imagine the view is quite different here than from earth."

"You are full of marvelous ideas tonight." He smiled and followed her upstairs.

The night was quiet, aside from the muffled noise that could still be heard from the ballroom down below. Venus averted her gaze from the sky to Kunzite, sitting there with his classic Zen look.

 _What's his story? Who is he beneath the surface?_

"Hey," she suddenly blurted out, snapping him out of his trance. "We should play Truth!"

"Truth?"

"Yeah. I'll ask you a question and you have to answer it honestly, and then you'll ask me something. And they have to be deep questions. Come on, give it a shot!"

"All right," he laughed faintly. He thought for a moment and appeared to go back into Zen mode. "Why do you serve your queen?"

"What?" Venus laughed loudly. "That is NOT deep!" she teased.

"It is if you dig enough."

"Well, I was born into royalty on Venus and therefore have an obligation, just like the others. But…" she paused. "I guess it's more of a loving relationship than an obligation. She's always there for us and loves us unconditionally, no matter what we do or what mistakes we make. She's the most respectable woman I know."

"See? You dug deep."

"Okay, wise guy," she teased. "I've got a question for you. What do you want most in life?"

"I want to always fulfill my duty in protecting my prince and our kingdom."

"But what do YOU want? It's not a question of what _they_ want or what is expected of you."

He leaned back a little and stared at the sky for a few moments. "I want to travel the world. I want to see everything that's out there, outside of our side of the planet. I know that I am needed at the palace, but I have always had this feeling deep down that I have a bigger purpose. I want to discover that purpose… and I would like to have someone by my side throughout this journey."

She blushed and looked away. They could hear Queen Serenity giving a wrap-up toast, so they headed back to the dinner table. The second dancing session would begin soon.

"Well, good sir, after we finish up here, would you care to join me on the dance floor?"

"I would be absolutely delighted."

"Kunzite," Endymion interrupted as he came up behind him. "May I have a word with you?"

"Of course, Your Majesty. Excuse me, milady."

Those two went out into the hall to discuss something, and Venus waited patiently for Kunzite's return as the dances started back up.

She lifted her wine glass. Twenty minutes had gone by. Thirty. Sixty. She wandered around the massive room, but her general was nowhere to be found. She went up to Jupiter, interrupting her conversation with Nephrite.

"Hey, do you know where Kunzite went?"

"Oh, he left ages ago," Nephrite said. "Probably wanted to escape as soon as he could. Dances aren't really his thing."

"Oh…" Venus felt her heart sink. "It's just that, he told me he wanted to dance."

"Hmm. I don't know what to tell you. Sorry. That man's a mystery."

"I'm sorry, Venus," Jupiter said with sympathy.

"I guess I just thought he liked me or something, I don't know. It's fine. If you'll excuse me…" she exited the room for the rest of the evening.

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"Venus?" Queen Serenity knocked on her door. It was bright and early and the guardian was barely awake.

"Yes, my queen?" She stretched and rolled out of bed.

"Are you feeling all right after last night? Jupiter told me what happened."

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just got led on… I'm an idiot. But it is what it is."

"Now sweetie, there's no need to get down on yourself. Perhaps he had a good reason for leaving."

"Yeah, if that reason was wanting to escape the ball and not wanting to dance with me."

The queen sighed. "I don't know how much help it will be, but I captured part of the conversation between him and Endymion from one of the surveillance cameras in the hall. Unfortunately this one ran out of power before they finished, but you may have a look."

Venus took the camera and pulled up the footage.

 _"_ _There's something I need to discuss with you. But first, I must ask you something."_

 _"_ _What is it?"_

 _"_ _What is going on with you and Princess Venus? You two were talking all night, and then you disappeared together for hours."_

 _"_ _Why are you asking me this?"_

 _"_ _I am just concerned, for both of you. She is Princess Serenity's head guardian. She has just as much responsibility as you, so surely you understand. Serenity has told me about her. She needs a good, godly man, a spiritual leader, if she is going to have a man by her side. Someone who will lead her so that you both will be able to serve and glorify God better together than you could individually. Are you ready to be that person for her?"_

 _Kunzite stood in silence._

"Say something…" Venus whispered.

 _More silence. The video began to glitch and cut off._

"SAY SOMETHING."


	2. Don't Say You Love Me

"Good afternoon, Nephrite, Jupiter." Mercury lifted her head from her book as the couple walked past her through the garden.

"Greetings, Mercury," Nephrite respectfully nodded.

"What are you two up to today?"

"He's taking me on a picnic," Jupiter gushed. "And then we're gonna go to the training room and spar."

"You're an interesting bunch," Mercury teased and went back to her reading. "Have fun."

They continued walking through the garden and passed their blonde friend.

"Hello Venus." Nephrite politely greeted.

"Yeah, hey," she grumbled, annoyed, as she continued quickly walking by.

"Wait here a sec," Jupiter told Nephrite as she ran after her lead guardian.

"Hey, what's your problem?! Look, I'm sorry it didn't work out with Kunzite, but you don't have to be so rude to Nephrite."

Venus rolled her eyes and turned around. "I'm sorry, okay? It's just that seeing happy couples flaunting themselves doesn't exactly make me feel good right now."

Jupiter let out a sympathetic sigh. "Someday you'll have it. I promise."

"You just keep saying that," Venus started to tear up as she practically ran away.

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Two weeks passed. Queen Serenity was having a small gathering at the moon kingdom, with a fancy meal and live classical music. Attendance was optional, so Venus chose to skip out. She was out back sitting by the pond, skipping stones.

"Miss Venus?" A maid came up behind her.

"Yes?"

"This just came in for you."

She handed her a small piece of paper with a short note.

" _Dear Venus,_

 _I deeply apologize for disappearing from the ball. We received an urgent notification from earth and my prince sent me back to investigate. I have not been able to get away. But if you will forgive me, I would love to see your beautiful face again._

 _Go to the pine tree on the south side of the palace._

 _Kunzite"_

Venus jumped up in shock. _He came back. He didn't ditch me._ She looked towards the large pine tree he was referring to and slowly walked over. Expecting to find her love, she found another note instead, hanging in the pine needles on the lowest branch.

" _From the moment I met you, I knew you were well worth pursuing. You are a bold, beautiful, godly woman and a strong leader and guardian of your princess, and you have captured my heart. I cannot imagine any other woman who I would want as my future wife. Will you travel the world by my side?"_

She lifted her head up and Kunzite stepped out from behind a pillar. The soft breeze shook his cape and hair as he slowly walked her way, fixing a loving gaze on her.

"I…I didn't think I'd see you again," she managed, frozen.

"I could not leave without saying goodbye." He placed her face in his hands. "I'm in love with you, Venus."

She looked down and turned away. "Don't say you love me. You don't even know me. I'm not worthy of it."

He came around to face her again. "Goddess Aphrodite, you do not realize your value. You are a treasure, more than worthy of love."

Those last words stunned her for a moment. She locked eyes with his. "Serenity would always tell me that I deserve to be happy. General… you are the only person who has ever told me I'm _worthy of love._ "

"A war has broken out on earth. Prince Endymion instructed me to stay there to train and command our troops. Many of our lives are at stake. But I could not stay, knowing that I might die, before I did this."

He leaned in and kissed her, multiple times. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled closer. It was the most delightful moment of her life.

"This war on earth… you might die." Her heart began to sink in fear, amidst the joy she was feeling at the same time.

"I will be all right. Once we calm the people down and stop the riots, things should fall back into place."

"Okay. If you say so, I trust you." She still felt uneasy but didn't know why.

"Is something wrong?"

"Oh, no, it's nothing." The uneasy feeling lingered.

Kunzite took her hand and led her under a gazebo near the palace, where the music could still be heard from inside. "I believe I owe you a dance."

She smiled and placed her hands on his shoulders, winking. "That you do."

They danced the night away in the moonlight. "Also," Venus whispered, "I love you too. I accept."

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 _And alas, this would be their final night together before facing off in Beryl's war against the moon._

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A/N: I would love feedback on this story, but to be completely honest, it was one of my most effortless ones. It's been a really long time since I've written a fanfic or watched Sailor Moon, so I'm rusty. I just wanted to write another tribute because Venus x Kunzite is like my favorite shipping, though this story was much shorter than the last. Most of my stories are Christian-themed in some way, but I didn't really do that too much with this one other than a couple parts.

Inspiration: Gilmore Girls, M2M, and yeah-well-hey


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